Online listing of ex-PMs' house attracts 30,000 hits

Two Prime Ministers lived in the 1909-vintage, four-bedroom house at 66 Harbour View Rd in the Wellington suburb of Northland. Photo / Supplied

Wellington real estate agent Steve Fejos has never had 30,000 hits on an online listing until Hill Haven - former home to Prime Ministers Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser - went on the market in November.

He expects the four-bedroom, two bathroom property built in 1909, with views of the harbour and the Botanic Gardens, to sell for more than its rateable value of $1.65 million.

The history of the place at 66 Harbour View Rd in the suburb of Northland was driving the curiosity factor online, Mr Fejos said.

"All the locals know about it. I knew of that property long before I came into real estate. I knew as a 10-year-old that property was the ex-prime ministerial house."

But the home's real selling points were its size and location.

"Northland's got two sides: a sunny side which has a view back towards Karori," said Mr Fejos.

"They're not the million-dollar properties simply because they get the views; the million-dollar properties are the ones that look back towards the city and this is certainly one of those. But it's equally a very large home ... it's single level, it's quite unique."

The house was purchased by the Government for the use of Prime Minister Savage in 1939. He died from cancer a year later, and Peter Fraser took up residence. He stayed until 1949 when defeated by Sidney Holland, who preferred to live in the Crown-owned home at 41 Pipitea St in Thorndon.

The home has been privately owned for more than 20 years by David and Kathryn Smith.

The 407sq m home sits on a 1629sq m section. The property has been restored but many of its original features, including timber doors, ceilings and verandas, have been retained.